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Our flagship Bhutan trip offers the best of kingdom: close-up mountain views, remote villages and dzongs (fortress/monasteries), and the annual tsechu (masked dance festival) in the Bhutanese heartland. Trekkers who do this trip in the fall will be treated to masked dances at the Jambey Lhakhang Drup festival, while spring trekkers will attend Ura Yakchoe. After full day explorations in both Paro and Thimphu, we drive to Punakha, jumping off point for our trek. Our route takes us north along the Mo Chu (River), from its subtropical lower reaches to its icy headwaters at the very foot of Masa Gang (23,604'). On our way up the river, we'll meet several small villages and one of Bhutans' most unusual dzongs, at Gasa. This semi-circular monastery serves as the training school for many of the monks who perform in various tsechus around the kingdom.
Our high camp (14,500') at the foot of Masa Gang is a special place that begs for a full day to explore. On our inaugural run of this trek in October 1998, a snow leopard wandered within sight of this camp, clearly an auspicious sign. We reenter civilization at the very charming, sturdy village of Laya, tucked up against the peaks that form the border with Tibet. Its friendly inhabitants, dressed unlike any other people in Bhutan, make Laya one of the most unforgettable stops on our itinerary.
We retrace our steps back down the valley and drive across the Black Mountains to Bumthang, a series of valleys in Bhutan's heartland that contain more sacred sites and temples than any other corner of the kingdom. The highlight of our visit here is attendance at the annual tsechu, where the masked dances evoke the spirit of the medieval period in which they began. We'll also spend some time visiting a few of the many monasteries and temples that seem to fill every corner of these valleys. A final drive takes us back to Paro for our homeward flight.
Grade: Moderate.
DEPARTURES
2008 -- March 18 to April 10; October 3 to 26
Land Cost:
$4,950 (8-12 members)
$5,400 (4-7 members)
Single Supplement: $25/day if available.
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Questions? Need Itineraries?
Above the Clouds
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